As the Top Gear team brace themselves for the airing of the last ever episode tomorrow night, preparations for its reincarnation are well under way.

Presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May, who are taking their leave from the show tomorrow night, are due to meet next week to begin planning their new motoring show in earnest.

But according to the programme's former executive producer, the planning stage is playing out like a real-life episode of the erratic BBC2 show.

Fond farewell: Presenters Richard Hammond (right) and James May (left) appear together in the Top Gear studio filming the final episode of the motoring show, which will air tomorrow night

Saying goodbye: The show's former executive producer Andy Wilman, who admits that plans for its reincarnation are playing out like a real-life episode of the show

Andy Wilman - Clarkson's childhood friend and creative collaborator - revealed that the team will be meeting in secret to work out the 'nuts and bolts of what the new show will do and what it will look like'.

But tensions are already mounting in the famously boisterous team.

'Jeremy is all bombastic and [thinks] he's a brilliant businessman and he knows f*** all,' Mr Wilman, who first met Clarkson when they were students together at Repton school, told the Guardian.

Mr Wilman, who quit the BBC a month after Clarkson left, described the final show as being 'very sad' and 'absolutely awful to make'.

The episode has been put together from films made before Clarkson's attack on a producer in March.

Clarkson recorded a new voiceover for the show, but unpaid and under his old contract.

Hammond and May filmed new links, but without the traditional Top Gear studio audience.

For Mr Wilman, the film montage happens to be 'very strong on camaraderie', although he admitted that they 'are not the most ambitious films we have ever done'.

The BBC decided not to renew Clarkson's contract following an internal review, which found he was responsible for the 'unprovoked physical and verbal attack' on producer Oisin Tymon.

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But Top Gear has been dogged by controversies almost since the beginning, the most famous of which include referring to Gordon Brown as a 'one-eyed Scottish idiot', and to Mexicans as lazy, feckless and flatulent.

The BBC was forced to apologise for the latter following a complaint lodged by the Mexican embassy.

On form: The final show has been put together using films before Clarkson's contract was not renewed by the BBC, following a 'physical and verbal' attack on a producer in March

Looking to the future: The team are currently in talks with Netflix, ITV and Amazon Prime for the rights to the new show

Controversial: The BBC2 show has been plagued by controversy since it's beginning, including calling Gordon Brown a 'one-eyed Scottish idiot'

Mr Wilman is less than impressed by the series of offences, describing them as 'abysmal'.

'It was charmless, badly delivered and s***,' he continued.

'If you are making a show with a mental age of nine, you are going to act like a nine-year-old and at some point you are going to lose focus.'

The 75-minute final show will air at 8pm tomorrow night, and is expected to smash the show's current viewer record, of 8.4million.

Final screening: The final episode of the show will air at 8pm tomorrow night, and is expected to smash the show's current viewer record of 8.4million

New deal: But the team will not be able to keep the Top Gear name, as it was bought by the BBC three years ago in a multimillion pound deal that benefited Clarkson and Mr Wilman.

Camaraderie: According to Andy Wilman, the clips used in the final show are not their best, but are strong on camaraderie

The current record-holder is the episode that featured Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton as the 'star in the reasonably-priced' car in 2007.

Prior to that was the episode that featured Richard Hammond's return to the show following his near-fatal crash during filming in September 2006, which drew 8.1million viewers.

But the team are looking to the future, with ITV, Netflix and Amazon Prime currently battling it out for the rights for the new show, which is tipped for success.

Although they will not be able to keep the Top Gear name, as it was bought by the BBC three years in a multimillion pound deal that benefited Clarkson and Mr Wilman.

Take over: The show will be handed over to Radio 2 DJ Chris Evans, who has taken on the roles of both presenter and executive producer

Mr Wilman revealed that the team are now looking for a 'global platform', beyond that of Top Gear's record 350million fans around the world.

But the original will be handed over to the Radio 2 DJ Chris Evans, who has taken on the roles of presenter and executive producer for next year's return.

Evans is understood to be seeking more audience participation, with open auditions for the co-presenting role and opportunity for viewers to drive around the Top Gear track.

Wilman ended: 'Chris will do a good job of his type of show. It will be a healthy rivalry, there will be room for both of us.'